@intro2 = There is plenty of evidence to contradict the government's claim that it did not know that Iraq possessed no weapons' of mass destruction.
The government said:Intelligence said: PM John Howard, September 9, 2002, 7.30 Report transcript:
"There is no doubt, on the evidence - the intelligence material available to us - that not only does Iraq possess chemical and biological weapons but also Iraq has not abandoned her nuclear aspiration."
Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, September 17, 2002, parliament: "Australian intelligence agencies believe there is evidence of a pattern of acquisition of equipment that could be used in a uranium enrichment program."September 2002
CIA tells British intelligence they doubt the accuracy of claims about Iraqi attempts to import uranium from Africa. Australian intelligence almost certainly briefed. Howard, February 4, 2003, ministerial statement:
Iraq has a useable chemical and biological weapons capability, which has included recent production of chemical and biological agents ... Iraq continues to work on developing nuclear weapons, uranium has been sought from Africa ... Iraq is reconstituting its nuclear weapons program...January 27, 2003, UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission team report to the UN Security Council:
[We] do not contend that weapons of mass destruction remain in Iraq, nor do [we] exclude that possibility ... UNMOVIC is ot presuming that there proscribed items and activities in Iraq, nor is it presuming the opposite. Howard, March 6 2003, HO FM:
Iraq continues to have chemical and biological weapons ... there is always the danger that these weapons will come into the hands of terroristsFebruary 20, 2003, UNMOVIC report: How much, if any, is left of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction and related proscribed items and programs? So far, UNMOVIC has not found such weapons, only a small number of empty chemical munitions which should have been declared and destroyed... Howard, April 17, Radio 6WF:
"Well, I'm not surprised [WMD] haven't turned up so far ... I never expected there to be a sign on the road to Baghdad saying, 'WMD 5 kilometres here, turn right' ... there has been plenty of evidence found of a circumstantial kind" [Adapted from Loose with the Truth, a pamphlet prepared by Labor's Kevin Rudd and Anthony Albanese.]
From Green Left Weekly, March 17, 2004.
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